The present invention relates to improvements made to appliances for cleaning various types of floors and carpets by suction and motorized beating or brushing.
A principal object of the invention is to integrate all the operational members of the appliance into a single molded platform or frame whose function is to support these members. As a result the assembly is easy, rapid and reliable.
Additionally, the aesthetic appearance results from providing a cover or protective member, which protects and covers the platform. The cover can be shaped without difficulty by various techniques. In particular, it can be made by the pressure molding of an inexpensive plastic material which, although subject to considerable shrinkage, is not likely to cause any defects or deformation because the cover has no internal ribs.
For the same reason the thickness of the protecting member can be considerably reduced, which would allow the cover and frame to be from different plastic materials (for example, polyethylene and polypropylene). As a result, the cost of the appliance can be competitive compared with that of an appliance utilizing only one type of plastic.
Moreover, from the technical and economic standpoints there is no reason why the outside appearance of the appliance should not be diversified in order to differentiate different brands. It is merely necessary to have different molds for making the protective member. The molds could be simple and relatively inexpensive.
A further object of the invention is to improve the outflow of air containing various particles in the suction channel even though the channel is merely a passage in the frame. The design of the appliance makes this flow non-turbulent with a minimal pressure drop so that the particles (dust, debris, pieces of thread or wall etc.) are rapidly discharged and consequently there is little risk of them blocking the channel. Thus, the cleaning efficiency is improved.
A further object of the invention is to facilitate the unblocking of the channel by making the inside of it accessible although it is integrated into the platform.
The appliance comprises various operational elements or members: a rotary brush or beater, a motor (electrical, mechanical, or turbine) for rotating the brush, at least one suction channel connecting the brush housing to a pivoting connection which can be connected to a suction source.
In order to achieve these objects and in accordance with the invention, the various operational members or elements, no matter whether they are molded in one piece or joined together, are integrated into a single platform which forms the body of the appliance. The assembled platform has a certain autonomy of operation and there is direct access to the operational members or elements. The platform is covered by a simple protective cover and attaches to a sliding or rolling base plate.
Moreover, the suction channel is constituted by a U-shaped formation in the platform in accordance with the contour chosen for connecting the pivoting connection to the brush housing. The open formation in the platform is sealed by an auxiliary member whose profile reduces the cross-section of the channel in order to accommodate differing channel designs.
For housing the brush the appliance has a trough molded in the platform which contacts the floor by means of an elongated opening below the trough in the base plate. Furthermore, the trough wall extends up to the vicinity of the space in which the brush moves. The suction channel connects to the trough through a window in the vertical rear wall of the trough.
The base plate can have a suction slot located to the rear of the elongated opening provided for the passage of the brush. The suction channel then connects to the slot through a horizontal window made in the base plate near the slot. Moreover, at least one orifice can be provided in the base plate to establish a connection between the suction slot and the brush housing formed in the frame, thereby allowing the suction in the brush housing to assist in removing particles in the slot.
The above-indicated auxiliary member can contain a vertical passage extending from the substantially horizontal window to the suction channel. This passage can be sleeved in order to regulate its cross-section and thus the amount of suction applied to the horizontal window.
The base plate forms a ridge which separates the suction slot from the trough which houses the brush.
The vertical passage can be sealed with a plug, in which case the ridge then has at least one cut-out establishing a restricted passage at ground level between the suction slot and the trough housing the brush.
The peripheral edges of the platform and cover are fixed to one another by means of screws. A C-shaped shock-absorbing belt or bumper is mounted on the edges and covers the attaching screws in order to conceal them, thus making disassembly of the cover by the user difficult.